Last Kiss: Inuyasha Ending
by CrimsonSkyez
Summary: One shot, about the last fight with Naraku for the Inutachi. Be warned: I got teary eyed while writing it.


(Author's Note: Rumiko Takashi own Inuyasha, and all the characters herein. I am not writing this for profit. I am just writing this because.. well.. as you all know I am extremely disappointed with how the ending of the anime Inuyasha.. ended. And so, I randomly write fanfic to make it better, in my own little world, to overshadow the severe anger at being deprived of a decent ending. Of course, since I am lazy.. this will be a oneshot. If I say it's a oneshot, most likely it'll be that way. Sorry guys. Strongly implied Sango x Miroku inside, and I hope my horrible writing has _some_ effect on your heart strings. The original has lyrics attached to it, but even though I credit the artist who wrote it, my story still seems to get deleted. Weird.)

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The shadows of the temple were strewn around oddly, playing off the walls and interlapping over the next. They remained stationary for the most part, only teased into movement by a passing breeze outside, which upset the branches of the tree the light shown through. The temple was dark beyond this, the only light oozing in from the outside.

The temple was occupied by a man. A single man who remained still enough to rival the large Buddah statue towering over him. Kneeling, he sat with his hands on his thighs, head tilted forward in silent meditation. His dark robes of black and purple seemed to make him blend in with the shadows, although a ray of light would strike one of the golden earrings he wore and be cast off once more in the other direction. The only movement betrayed from the man was a slight motion of his thumb upon his right hand, which lightly nudged the string of beads wrapped about it's wrist.

A sigh exhaled the man, and he turned his face upward, causing his bangs to fall back away from his eyes. His left hand moved and grasped at the handle of the shakujou he set against the wall by the statue upon entering, and once claiming it used it to push himself to his feet. Dark violet eyes gave the statue one more glance, before the monk turned and stepped out of the temple.

The sun was bright compared to the darkness on the inside, and the monk squinted momentarily as he allowed his eyes to adjust. They glanced around, noting the villagers nearby, before he started walking away from the temple. Two girls watched him walk by, stopping in their daily work to giggle amongst each other.

"Oooh! Look at him." The first one said, watching the monk with her eyes.

"Yeah, I've seen him before.. He's always so serious." The other one chimed in, eyes flickering with girlish glee. "He's so handsome."

"Oy! Miroku-sama!" The first one spoke once more, elevating her voice and even waving her hand to try to obtain the monk's attention.

The monk in question paused for the moment, face seeming to contort into a wince which haunted mainly in his eyes, before he resumed walking once more.

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The sky opened up in protest of the war going on beneath it, pounding down its tears of anger on both sides. The band of fighters regrouped once more, all muddied and soaking wet. Standing before the five: a monk, a taijya, a miko dressed from a time unlike the one she was in, a hanyou wearing red and wielding a sword twice his height, and a young kitsune whom was forced to grow before his time, was a large conglomerate of a beast illuminated by every bolt of lightning. Visibilty was poor, although the sky did seem to offer assistance in the form of bright white flashes across the amethyst canvas.

Even with Kagura's death, Naraku was beyond prepared. He had waited for this moment for a long time, eagerly awaiting this day, to the point where he left clues so obvious they could do nothing except follow them. The jewel was complete and was in his possession, held out to them.

"Kohaku!" She screamed at the large beast, rain running down her dirt stained cheeks and gathering on her armoured uniform. The news sunk in quickly, gripping her heart in a cold icy vice. After so much suffering, Naraku finally took the life of her brother. If it was any other circumstance, Sango would have been slightly greatful, as now her brother's soul was free. However, she was so close to getting him back on her own, that such a statement brought hateful tears to her dark brown eyes. "You bastard! How dare you!"

Kagome's eyes shifted towards Inuyasha's face, the hanyou's expression becoming grim, with the anger lurking within his firey amber eyes. If the jewel was complete, they both knew, then chances were that Kouga and the other wolves didn't make it. "Kuso.." Inuyasha swore, readying Tessaiga by lowering it to the ground, causing the blade to glow red once more. "Baka ookami was supposed to be killed by _me. _Now I have to avenge his pathetic life." Even though the words were spoken with annoyance and muttered only so Kagome could hear, the hanyou was outraged. Kouga was more than a stupid wolf: he was Inuyasha's rival.

Miroku kept his eyes on Naraku, watching him intently. The reactions he sparked from the Inu-tachi were what he wanted, and he laughed loudly. "Foolish mortals.." He sneered, returning the jewel around his neck once more. "You spent all your time hunting me down, and now you just want to talk?" That statement alone snapped the restrain in both the hanyou and the demon slayer, and both charged forward towards him.

"Sango!" Miroku exclaimed, reaching out with his hand to try to grab her, to pull her back to him, but she moved out of his reach. Hearing Kagome scream Inuyasha's name over the raging storm left him with an odd feeling of dread, one that caused him to stare down at his hand that seemed to remain frozen in mid-reach. His gaze shifted as movement caught his eye: Kagome stood next to him, firing off arrows towards Naraku. Over a rumble of thunder, Miroku could hear Sango's battle cry as her weapon was thrown, followed shortly after by Inuyasha yelling out to activate the wind scar.

Naraku's barrier had been shattered, but he still seemed to be ignoring every attack sent towards him. As analytical as he was, Miroku could not figure out what was wrong or what they were missing. Inuyasha had destroyed the barrier surrounding him, and Sango's hiraikotsu and Kagome's purifying arrows made easy work of the hoards of demons and poisonous insects that surrounded Naraku. Clenching his staff tightly, Miroku charged forward so briskly it invoked a jingle upon the rings at the top of the shakujou, wishing silently that his shoes had better traction. The free hand found way into his robes and three rectangular pieces of paper were pulled, each with its own writing on it. The sutras were thrown as a trio at Naraku, each one sticking upon his body. The demon roared upon impact. Lightning crashed.

"You'll have to do better than that, houshi." Naraku sneered once the holy static of the sutras faded, causing Miroku to widen his eyes. _It had no effect. How is that possible? In order to do that, that would mean that he has no..._

"Inuyasha!" The monk called out, mentally kicking himself. How could he not have noticed sooner? "He doesn't have a demonic aura!"

"How is that possible!" Sango called down from Kirara's back, the feline bringing Sango higher up through the air. The taijya was trying to aim for Naraku's head. Kagome was trying to aim for the jewel. Inuyasha was aiming for anything. And Miroku found himself subconsciously clenching his right hand into a fist.

"Kanna.." Kagome whispered, keeping her eyes on Naraku. Did he really kill his most dedicated incarnation? Or was she somehow able to transfer her abilities to Naraku and still be alive?

"Enough chitchat." Naraku stated, holding out his arms. The wind started moving faster, the storm aided breeze intensifying in a move akin to Kagura's. The speculation that Naraku had absorbed his incarnations was no longer theory as the wind formulated into a cyclone. Miroku felt his robes whip around him, leaning backwards to try to avoid being pulled up into the tornado. There were voices shouting over the wind, two sticking out the most. One sounded like Kagome calling for Inuyasha. The other came from his own mouth.

"Sango!" No more precious seconds were wasted. He grabbed the rosary and removed it from his wrist. "Kazaana!" What he hoped to accomplish was unsure, although part of him hoped he could overpower Naraku's. It was a long shot, but there was a chance it would work.

The cyclone collided with an onslaught, being pulled apart to the point where it was weakening. Miroku smirked, keeping his arm locked and his hand upright while the ancient curse pulled in air, demons, and whatever else was in the way. The cyclone ripped up some trees, and Miroku caught them before they could do any damage. The cyclone was broken, the wind magic disspelled.

All that remained of the attack was the amused sneer on Naraku's features. "Arigatou, houshi. I was waiting for that."

Miroku's eyes quickly turned from confusion to horror when he realized he couldn't put his arm down to close the kazaana. The hole in his hand burned, the air seeming to rush in at a faster and faster rate. What was worse, with the cyclone no longer there, Kirara had gotten her bearings.. in front of the kazaana. The fire cat flew forward, hard and fast, trying to pull Sango and her out of it. While Sango clutched onto her weapon, the taijya turned to glance down to see what the problem was.

It was that moment that she said something down to him, which Miroku strained over the winds to hear. It was that moment that Naraku chose to attack the taijya. It was then that the taijya was sent backwards, falling towards the ground where Miroku was frozen with his palm towards the sky. The remaining strength Miroku had was cost by forcing his hand upwards, struggling with the demon that kept it open. The rosary was secured and his hand left throbbing, leaving Miroku enough time to barely catch the taijya that plummeted towards him.

Before Sango could safely land in Miroku's arms, there was something akin to an explosion. The ground was no longer beneath Miroku's feet as he was sent flying through the air, partially blinded by the bright light. A flash of red was seen, something Miroku vaguely assumed was Inuyasha's haori. The ground terminated his feeling of floating very quickly, landing hard on his side. He grunted, feeling a sharp pain travel through his side as he attempted to push himself up. All that was left was the rain pounding around him. Giving his head a shake to remove the hair that clung to his forehead, he glanced around, eyes coming to a sudden stop upon a still figure, dressed in black.

The pain was ignored as he pushed his way towards her, reaching her side in a matter of seconds. There lay Sango, eyes closed, body shaking with coughs that caused her to tilt her head when she was done and spit crimson. Miroku stared down at her, confused by the image. It wasn't until the monk shifted his gaze towards her torso did he understand, the sight hitting his eyes worse than the attack moments prior.

Sango had landed on what was once a tree, now splintered by Naraku's wind attack. The fall had impaled her upon it.

The horror sunk in, and Miroku never felt so helpless before. "Sango.." He tried speaking, but his throat felt like it was tightening. His own pain caused his entire body to scream at him but he ignored it, leaning down to touch her cheek with his palm. Sango forced her eyes opened, and gave a small smile up at Miroku, one which pained the monk to return. "Sango.. we need to get you somewhere.." He fumbled for words, holding her face now in both hands.

"Houshi-sama.." She spoke, voice quiet and struggled, reaching up to lightly set one of her hands upon his. "There's no need.."

That wasn't the answer Miroku wanted to hear. "No.. I have.. Sango.." The words caught in his throat, causing an unfamilar pain in his chest. His mind could no longer process things coherently. His vision was clouding, and it wasn't due to the rain. "Sango.. don't.."

"I don't like the rain." She stated, keeping the smile on her face despite the distant look to her eyes. Gently, Miroku picked up her head, holding it with one hand as he knelt next to her. The storm raged around them with the sounds of battle, but Miroku didn't care. His entire world was threatening to shatter, and he couldn't do anything to return it to how it was. He couldn't even cry, as he stared down at Sango's gentle features. It would have been easier if she sobbed against him, clinging to him tightly. Instead, she remained passive and accepting, smiling up at him. He wanted to demand her to cry, to force her to show some kind of weakness.

If only she wasn't so strong.. She was strong all through her life, and even while she faced death did she not shatter. Sango was a true warrior.

"I'm sorry." Miroku whispered, moving his thumb to lightly trace along her jawline to her lips. Her already pale skin was losing color before his eyes, yet he could do nothing but keep his eyes upon her's.

"Don't be." Her smile never faultered, not even with a single tear leaking from her eye to travel down her dirt-stained cheek. "I'm going home.." Miroku moved to embrace her gently, laying next to her, hugging her as best as he could without causing her more pain. He clenched his teeth, trying hard not to sob out, restraining emotions that he felt bottling up inside. He clung to her similar to how she clung to him upon fearing his death in the mountains. "Don't cry, Houshi-sama.. I don't want you to.."

Miroku couldn't help but laugh bitterly against her shoulder. Perhaps he was holding her a bit too tightly. "You're worth shedding tears over." He straightened up enough to look at her face, earning a soft laugh in reply. The laugh faded quickly into a wince and ended abruptly.

"I'm cold, Houshi-sama. Could you... hold me for a little bit?"

Numbly, the monk gently picked Sango up, removing her from the sharp piece that clearly lodged through her abdomen. The crimson fluid surrounded the two of them, staining the grass as Miroku brought Sango close on his lap and embraced her tightly. His cheek pressed against her cooling forehead, eyes tightly closed as he willed Buddah to awaken him from this nightmare, to allow him to return to slumbering back at Kaede's hut with his taijya fiance next to him, snuggled and warm and safe instead of bleeding to death in his arms. He held her as another fit of coughing shook her, lightly running his fingers through her long drenched hair.

"I love you, Sango." He murmured against her ear, fearing as if she had to know that he did, otherwise the words would never be spared. Sango tilted her head up, eyes half lidded as if heavy with sleep, and lightly touched his lips with her fingers. Her head tilted enough to bring her lips lightly to his, which Miroku returned, reluctant to break away. Cupping her face with his hand again, he held her in place, kissing her gently but intently.

It was their first kiss.. and it would be their last.

As soon as it began, Sango slid back against him once more, returning to lay against his chest.

"I love you, Miroku."

Miroku felt what remained of his heart shatter like the shikon jewel they fought so hard to complete. He wanted to hear Sango say his name ever since they met, and he dreamed of hearing it uttered upon their wedding day when the two would be pledged together as one forever. It wasn't supposed to be like this, where she was whispering her name with barely any life left in her, dying in the middle of a battle field. The statement made him grip her tighter, clinging to her desperately.

He kept her tightly in his arms, even after she slowly went limp and lifeless, the last ounce of her pained soul joining with her deceased family in the heavens.

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Miroku rose to his feet, glancing down at the mound of dirt which was now covered with a small bouquet of flowers, and some food from a nearby village. It was custom to bring treats to a grave, as it was believed that the spirit of the person could appreciate such a gesture. He stood in the middle of what was once a proud demon slayer village, run by a man who brought a powerful female warrior into the world. The powerful village was destroyed faster than it was built, many mounds scattered among the remains of huts. The one that Miroku had been kneeling by was special, with a large boomerang stuck into the ground at the head as a makeshift tombstone.

The memories of that night flashed in Miroku's mind night and day. He couldn't recall how long ago it was as it still felt like only yesterday. Despite the loss of a friend, the fight resumed, not ending until Naraku was brought down. Inuyasha was injured, but it wasn't overly serious. Kagome was alright due to Inuyasha's protection. Kirara suffered a broken leg and a deep gash in her side from being swatted by Naraku, and Miroku broke a rib or two. The jewel was obtained once more, and the group wondered what to do with it.

Kagome persisted that it be used to bring Sango back. Miroku refused such a notion, and Kagome screamed at him, crying hysterically. "How could you be so mean! She wanted to be with you! She wanted to be _with_ you!"

Miroku couldn't think of what to say. It pained him, but he stood fast in his belief that Sango wouldn't want to be brought back to life. Would she be the same Sango? She could also have her personality altered as Kikyou did upon her rebirth. Miroku wanted to remember Sango as the girl he fell in love with, not as something else. As he left his friends behind, he had hope that he would see Sango again.

Ever since that day, Miroku devoted his life strictly as a follower of Buddah. He hoped that retaining such a strict lifestyle might earn favors in Buddah's eyes, to which he would be granted another chance at life with Sango. Even if it was just to see her again, even if they never recalled of who they were in their past lives.. As long as he could somehow be apart of her life once more.

A soft nudging against his leg caused him to look down. A wane smile was given to the feline, who squeaked and returned his gaze with a curious one of her own. Kirara, having no one else to turn to, stayed with Miroku as if he was the last link to her friend that she had. Miroku viewed Kirara as the same way. The smaller mound next to the hiraikotsu was given a glance and a soft prayer as well.

After so long, Sango and her brother were together once more. They didn't have to worry about Naraku anymore, or see to pain and suffering.

The rings on his shakujou jingled softly as Miroku walked away from the village. He didn't know where he would go next. He didn't fear death anymore, especially not after that day. The day he lost his family curse, as well as the day he lost his life. The rest of his days would be spent as a follower of Buddah should live.

His infamous question wouldn't be uttered again, not after someone said yes. Especially since that someone wasn't around anymore to beat sense into him.

Besides... Sango wouldn't be happy about that.


End file.
